Holiday camps cancelled- what are key workers supposed to do?

[Dishwashersaurous]

My children’s holiday camp provider has just emailed to say that despite thinking that they were going to run, they have been told by department for education that they cannot run.
I booked these days in September.

I understand that if dfe say that they cannot run then they cannot.

But my aibu is what am I , and millions of other parents, supposed to ?

We’ve been just about coping but I was clinging on to the summer camps to enable us both to work normally.

Grandparents are not legally allowed in the house.
No where is open.
I can’t take anymore leave/ unpaid leave etc, nor can my husband as it’s been used up in the crisis so far.

I have a suggestion,

Would it be possible for anyone needed childcare to ring the local colleges and ask if any students who had been doing higher level children courses would be suitable for baby sitting. They should already have DBS checks in place and should of already done placement work.

It could change as September is 9 or so weeks away.

My parents will be having the kids wether it's allowed or not

@mumwon
That makes perfect sense about the timing of the second wave.
Boris made an announcement a few weeks ago about when to expect the second wave.

China, Iran, Mexico and a few other countries are starting to see spikes. China in particular are bracing themselves for the second wave.

Mine has cancelled too. DH and I haven't used any annual leave this year so at the moment we're looking at a combination of annual leave and WFH (kids 9 and 11). It's not ideal though. My Mum has offered a week if rules allow but she would need to be able to stay over due to distance.

@AuditAngel

I have just checked the holiday club I use, Koosa kids, based in a school. They are currently taking bookings but with a warning that they may not be able/allowed to operate,

I dont understand how they can run?? Government guidance for schools

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures/guidance-for-schools-about-temporarily-closing#restructuring-and-academisation

24.4 says any provider who is registered with Ofsted and cares for children aged 5 and over from more than one school (like all holiday clubs) should not be opening?

Also Early Years alliance says holiday clubs cannot open as they have spoken to DFE

www.eyalliance.org.uk/nurseries-childminders-reopen-coronavirus-lockdown

We are currently employing an 18 year old who was supposed to be sitting her a levels, she comes for 3 hours a day and does their schoolwork with them at the moment and am planning for her to do similar over the summer. She is very sensible and DBS checked.
We are currently able to work from home but am expecting at some point in the near future we will be required to go back into the office so it is a worry

You can only have a student or teen over if you know and trust them. I don't know any older teens at all.
A childminder would have even less space for distancing than a school or community hall.

we are past the “key worker” phrase. I think you just mean employed parents.

@HGTY1350 currently they can’t open, but the summer holidays are still over a month away.

Isn’t the plan that parents (mother’s mostly) won’t be able to work, and will be forced to quit their jobs and become Sahp. For a proportion of these, they can’t then claim benefits as household income from partner is too high. This improves employment statistics as these (women) forced from the work place don’t show up and others (men) can take up their jobs.

Or maybe I’m just cynical.

could furlough work? can you be refurloughed after starting back at work?

This is getting ridiculous now. My nursery hasn’t opened so I booked my 4yo into summer camp. I’ve managed to get my 4yo into a different nursery for one day a week. Literally the only space I could find. We cannot go 6 months without childcare and trying to work. At some point it is all going to implode.

You can only have a student or teen over if you know and trust them. I don't know any older teens at all.
Which is why when we employed students as babysitters we got references, rang them up and chatted to them, and their DBS checks. Though we do also have a babysitter who was DS' TA and obviously we knew him.

A childminder would have even less space for distancing than a school or community hall.
You do know THAT SCHOOLS ARE NOT SOCIALLY DISTANCING.

This really annoys me. If pubs and restaurants can open properly next month, why can't holiday childcare open in August? And also then surely schools should be operating normally in September.

This is what happens when a country is run by a bunch of men whose wives/staff sort out everything and have no idea what goes on.

So the guidance for those running on school sites is only to take children already from that school already back in. Outside providers can’t run. That’s me buggered then. Not eligible for anything from on site provision (not that there is anything running) nor anything outside.

Yanbu. We need more parents in government clearly as those who are there don’t consider real life issues for parents in their policies. In the meantime parents need to make as much noise as possible to get this resolved. I’d recommend writing to your MP (include the email from your holiday club saying they can’t open) and starting a petition about this (id sign it if you post a link here!!!)

This is what happens when a country is run by a bunch of men whose wives/staff sort out everything and have no idea what goes on.

Yes, exactly that!

We use an independently run holiday club that operates from three different schools during school holidays, they have just emailed to say the clubs are going ahead this summer and bookings will open from next week, with schools contacting key worker families first with a priority code

@Hmmph it is starting to look like you are right. In addition, by the time the schools and childcare reopen all the jobs that were available will have been filled by men. So double whammy - many women leave the workforce due to childcare issues + men manage to get all the new jobs before childcare issues resolved for women. Disgusting

However the guidelines say this is not permitted so god knows 🙄

There will be some twonk in a minute who’ll suggest ‘just employ a nanny’. Or ‘get an au pair’. Because teenagers are just desperate to visit the corona capital of Europe.

Why look for qualified nanny or foreign au pairs?

  Among your family/social circle/ local area  you can surely  advertise for some  sensible, reliable and broke  UK school leaver,  student  or unemployed  20 yr old  to provide  temporary childcare.

But don’t worry ladies, we will still be able to go to the pub, Primark, the golf course, maybe even the gym, we can even watch premiere league football on tv. But we won’t be able to work and our kids won’t be allowed to go to school. So proud to be British!!!

One possible idea is to look outside the 'traditional' holiday club set up. Contact your local council youth services - see if they have any activity programmes running over the summer (my son usually goes to a council run youth club a couple of days a week during school hols). Look at leisure centres (when they reopen), sports clubs (for example, local football teams often run week long 'training camps') and other hobby/interest based groups, particularly ones that can be done outside. Some of these may be able to open now as group exercise activities are allowed outdoors in small groups and it's expected come 4th July venues will open up further, thus allowing more options. The downside is usually they only run a few hours a day but may be able to help ease some of the stress.

This whole wait and see game is just so frustrating though.